


Crashed

by Kit_SummerIsle



Series: Cybertronian Advent Calendar [5]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Advent Calendar, Cold, Cuddling, crash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-11
Updated: 2013-12-11
Packaged: 2018-01-04 08:32:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1078833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kit_SummerIsle/pseuds/Kit_SummerIsle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Advent Calendar Day 8 - prompt: cuddling for warmth<br/>Optimus Prime and Starscream crashes on a cold, little moon<br/>G1-ish, indeterminate time during the war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crashed

“I don’t cuddle, Prime!”

Optimus winced and dialled his audials way down. Starscream’s voice could cut steel on his best days, but when he was irritated, annoyed or angry, neither state being all that rare with the Seeker, it was like a sound-based weapon of epic proportions. And now he had to set it off. Of course, he deserved it by expressing his suggestion in the worst way. Bad enough that his shuttle had the misfortune of encountering Decepticons in space, worse than it was Starscream and the purple warper, but the worst was that in the ensuing short skirmish they’ve both crashed into this rock that hardly deserved the label of being a moon, while Skywarp warped away, laughing his tailfins off at their misfortune.

Since then, things went from the worst till absolutely unbearable. Starscream was silent only until he did what he could for Skyfire, who now lay transformed and in stasis, covered with their only tarp in the freezing temperature of the moon. He had laid it on the shuttle with a look at the Prime daring to say a word. Which, Optimus Prime, bearer of the Matrix, feared by the Decepticons, absolute ruler of their race dared not. He wouldn’t have deprived the injured shuttle of the warmth he needed anyway, not after what the history the poor shuttle had with freezing. Since then, Starscream cursed about everything he could name in ways previously unknown to the Prime. Including him, of course, Megatron, for some reason and Skywarp, the slagger to leave them there.

But it all boiled down to being left exposed of the freezing cold air of this miserable little rock that hardly had any landmarks big enough to shelter them from the cold wind that Starscream couldn’t imagine where it was generated on such a pitiful little celestial object. They dragged Skyfire to one such and were now stiffly sitting on both sides of the shuttle, trying to stay in the meager shelter of the rock. Stiff, was nearing to be literal, Optimus mused darkly; he already passed the first warnings about low inner temperature on his HUD and now the second level alerts just came on, warning him of his fluids’ viscosity growing to dangerous levels in the joints.

“I only meant drawing closer to share body warmth and get more shelter from the winds.” – he clarified, keeping the tone cold – which wasn’t hard, considering the circumstances both literal and emotional – and objective.

If he was nearing freezing, then Starscream with his lesser body mass and protruding wings must be absolutely miserable. Optimus had little experience with cold but the humans always complained about freezing in their uncovered extremities. Casting a quick glance at the huddling Seeker it confirmed him the suspicion – Starscream tried to press the wings to the uneven rock and they were clattering like the humans’ teeth in sub-zero temperatures.

“Hmpf…”

Starscream glanced back at him, his look saying what his voice wouldn’t, his processor obviously coming to the same conclusion, albeit he would never admit it aloud. Optimus wisely didn’t try to help making him the decision, though he was getting colder by the breem, rather waited it out until the cold won over the Seeker's pride. Which happened rather soon fortunately and a very awkward shuffling ensued, while they got beside each other in their meager shelter, complete with hisses and curses as wings and appendages were banged into the rock or each other.

“This way, if you can…?”

“My wings don’t bend that way!”

“Then if you’d…”

“But keep your paws to yourself!”

“I need to put them around you, so…”

But soon Optimus’s lap was full of a stiff, embarrassed – and cold – Seeker sitting sidewise, the wings folded backwards, into the protected area between the rock, Skyfire and their own frames, his long legs falling to one side. Optimus carefully embraced the smaller frame, mumbling apologetically at the improper posture, and automatically stroked a white wing, nearly sticking to it in the process. They were truly freezing and Optimus couldn’t imagine how the Seeker withstood it so far without complaints. 

At the motion Starscream reacted the expected way, freezing unmoving and hissing at him warningly, but the wings enjoyed the relative warmth of the Prime’s servo and pushed into it, wordlessly demanding more. The red glance was nearly embarrassed at his frame’s reaction but its shivering was more honest than Starscream himself. Optimus rubbed at the white metal, feeling it tremble under his digits and tried not to think inappropriate thoughts. This was for warmth only and it was effective; in their huddled together posture, the wind found much less surfaces to rob their warmth and the cooling of his systems slowed down somewhat. Optimus hoped it would be enough until help could come.

But sometimes the metal under his servos twitched strangely, different from the cold-induced trembling, different from the embarrassed winces. The glances that Starscream stole at him and hoped not to be caught, thawed out considerably too and his frame wasn’t as stiffly sitting on his lap. Optimus smiled slightly, knowing that for any observers – who fortunately weren’t around – they would look as cuddling. Himself and the enemy army’s SIC. Who, despite of his aggressive start was, after a few breems of relative warmth comfortably half-dozing in his embrace. 

And wasn’t it surprising how good he felt with Starscream in his arms?


End file.
